Lolo Jones complains about bobsledding paycheck on Vine video

Chuck Schilken

Lolo Jones shouldn't have trouble paying her rent this month, or any other for the rest of her life.

At least that's the way it would seem, considering the aspiring Olympic bobsledder is also a world famous track star who has endorsement deals from the likes of McDonalds, Asics, BP, Red Bull and more.

But that's the claim Jones makes on a video clip she posted Monday on Vine (see above). She displays a check for $741.84 she received from the U.S. Bobsled & Skeleton Foundation and states, "Seven months with bobsled season, the whole season. That's it?"

She then shows herself speaking into the phone, "I'm going to be a little late on my rent ... "

Olympic gold medalist Steven Holcomb took exception to Jones' video and told USA Today that he's not the only U.S. bobsledder who feels that way.

"It wasn't taken very well," Holcomb said. "People were really kind of insulted. You just made $741, more than most athletes in the sport. So what are you complaining about?"

"The way it came across to a lot of the athletes here was kind of snobby because she's one of the most well-known athletes in the world and she's making pretty good money in endorsements. And to basically turn around and slap us in the face because you didn't make any money this year in bobsledding while taking money from other athletes? She slapped pretty much every athlete in the U.S. federation in the face. That was the general consensus."

But Jones says that wasn't the intention of her video at all -- in fact, she told E! News she was trying to raise attention to the plight of those very athletes.

"I don't want to make anyone mad, and I've always wanted to help out the bobsled athletes," Jones said. "Some of them have debt because they've given their life to the sport.

"The Vine of the paycheck is just showing the difference between track and bobsled, and to be honest, bobsledders work more hours than track!"

Not all bobsledders were offended by the post. Two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Elana Meyers tweeted her support:

.@lolojones thanks for brining the issues to light! Bobsledders aren't high paid pro athletes like you see on tv

Jones added: "The bottom line is that all Olympic athletes dedicate their lives to their sports and do not all receive lucrative paychecks like athletes in mainstream professional sports. So hopefully this will make people appreciate just how hard Olympians work, often just for the love of the sport."